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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Top 5 Picks for 2014

2014 is a renaissance of sorts for the Philippine automotive industry. Record-breaking sales (topping north of 200,000 units), tons of events, and a great number of new entrants—for those covering the industry, it’s been a very busy year. Therefore, picking just the top five cars/vehicles of the year isn’t easy, but it’s something we have been doing for the past three years now (2013, 2012, 2011). As always, we don’t break it down into categories or classifications here. This is pretty straight to the point. No bull crap here. There are only two rules to be considered for CarGuide.PH’s Top 5 Picks: first, we should have driven it; second, it must be mainstream (no cars above PHP 4-million).

Now that we’ve put everything in order, let’s get on with CarGuide.PH’s Top 5 Picks of 2014. The list begins, in preferential order, after the break.

#5: Toyota Corolla AltisWhy we chose it: No matter how it performs or looks, people are going to buy the Corolla Altis. It’s the default choice of fleet customers and the practical-minded alike. So, consider everyone surprised (and pleasantly shocked) when Toyota designed and engineered a Corolla Altis that actually is a million times better than its predecessor. It doesn’t matter if it has carryover mechanicals—this is one car that’s more than just the sum of its parts (or what’s written in the spec sheet). It looks sleek, is modern inside and out, and actually handles tidily. It’s also loaded with tons of creature features and still doesn’t break the bank pricewise. Above all, it manages to retain every aspect that has made it the go-to-choice of Filipino buyers: it’s roomy, comfortable, and well-built.

#4: Ford Fiesta EcoBoostWhy we chose it: At the heart of every automobile is its engine, giving it its unmistakable character. It’s for this reason that the Ford Fiesta has emerged as one of the year’s standouts. The Fiesta has carved a reputation for itself as being one fun-to-drive small car. It feels very much like a go-kart, only it seats five plus luggage. Its only let down is its less than convincing engine. Enter the turbocharged 1.0-liter EcoBoost. It’s the small engine that can, gifting the Fiesta enough power to take on the big boys as well as get more out of that yummy handling. It’s also more frugal as well. It’s like having your cake and eating it too.

#3: Honda JazzWhy we chose it: Small hatches always make sense for Philippine roads. Not only are they frugal and maneuverable, they are also masters of actually utilizing every available millimeter of interior space. Among all the small hatches currently in the market, the all-new Honda Jazz is the best when it comes to providing the complete package. The return of the magical ULTR (Utility, Long, Tall, Relax) seats is just the start. Add that to a car that’s more economical, refined, and desirable than its predecessor. Honda promised to pull out all the stops with the Jazz and they’ve delivered on that promise. It’s the most desirable car for those on a budget.

#2: Mazda3Why we chose it: To say that the Mazda3 has re-written the compact car rule book is a complete understatement. Since its arrival to the market early this year, no other car has gathered the buzz and attention of car enthusiasts and buyers alike. From tip to stern, there’s no denying that Mazda has designed a winner. The head-turning good looks is then followed by the high-quality, driver-oriented interior, and capped off by the advanced Skyactiv drivetrain; being fully-loaded and great value for money works in its favor too. The 1.5-liter is okay, but the 2.0-liter is everything you desire in a car and then some. Aside from delivering the most smiles per mile, the Mazda3 is equally fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly. No other car makes eco-minded commuting look sexy.

#1: Subaru WRXWhy we chose it: Few cars can claim to be both performance-oriented and practical at the same time and out of that few, only a handful can claim to have the pedigree. This is what makes the Subaru WRX the absolute winner for 2014. Not only does it have all-weather performance provided by its turbocharged Boxer engine (a Ward’s 10 Best Engine winner to boot) and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, it’s actually roomier, more comfortable, and better built than ever before. Plus, it is much easier to push to the limit than its bigger brother, the WRX STI. It may not look as sleek as some other cars out there, but it’s designed to be drivable and that’s all that matters. It’s great in both MT and Lineartronic CVT guise, but the latter makes it the everyday super car that seats five.

122 comments:

The Honda Accord is good. Top 5 good? No. Top 10 good? Probably not. Top 15 good...yes it's there. The Accord's a good car...the most convincing iteration they've come up with for quite some time...BUT...it lacks the bells and whistles that'll make it consider it even above the Mazda6! For instance...it doesn't have cruise control! No cruise control on a P 2-million car?!

You can only tune a non-independent suspension so far. But let's not kid ourselves, Toyota chose this setup for the Altis for cost savings and increased rear seat and trunk space. They could get away with it because the target market for this model is not exactly the driving enthusiasts who value handling and driving dynamics above rear seat and cargo-carrying space.

I concur. This list exposes the unfortunate and disappointing sedan bias of the author. Even a competing website included an SUV in their end of year list.

SUVs have become the mid-price (P1m+) vehicle of choice not purely for their imposing looks but also for practicality. Venture out of the metropolis and the expressways with a sedan and the poor quality of our roads will demand that you babysit them over every pothole. Fundamentally, we drive cars to get from point A to B so it is IMO ludicrous to sacrifice the ruggedness demanded by our roads for handling and aesthetics.

The size of SUVs used to dent their practicality for city use, but new crossover and subcompact models have already addressed that. MPVs are another practical option which this site has overlooked.

I understand that the author wants the driving experience to be a priority, but he should at least give some credence to practicality since I assume this website has a broad audience.

Says you. I for one agree with the author's pick except for the altis. I'd have prefered a honda city but that's the author's personal pick and I respect that. We all have different preferences and you have to consider that the author is still human like us. Even the idiot below says his top pick is a sportivo and I respect that, its his opinion. Kanya kanyang trip lang, kung gusto mo gumawa ng list, go ahead. Walang pumipigil sa iyo.

Nah, the Mazda can never be #1. The all-around efficiency (not just city driving) and technology are with Subaru. Sure, that's 600k more, but what's an HUD and a happy-go-lucky engine have against an intelligent CVT imitating 8-speed and 6-speed transferring torque to all 4 individual wheels?

LOL. Subaru fanboy. Very few would spend P1.9M for a compact sedan and use it as an everyday car. For 600K more of course it should have better specs and features than a regular FWD compact sedan. But it shouldn't be #1, nor even on this list. For P1.9M most buyers would be getting a high-end SUV or CUV; a small sedan, no matter how well-spec'ed, wouldn't even be considered.

Uly ranking the WRX as #1 is as irrelevant and inconsequential as CAGI naming the Mini Cooper S as 2014-15 Car of the Year. Only idiot fanboys would spend P2.6M to get a luxury subcompact hatch. There a lot of excellent and more practical cars at that price level. I bet the CAGI award wouldn't even make an impact on the Mini Cooper S sales. Car of the Year awards for the Philippine setting should be limited to cars below P2M for local relevance, realism, and practical considerations.

I agree with you completely Uly. I was pointing out to the guy above that comparing the WRX to the Mz3 is wrong, considering the price delta and intended market. The CAGI award for the Cooper S is just stupidly out-of-touch and laughably irrelevant in the Philippine context. For P2.6M I think most Filipino car buyers won't even consider it as a 3rd or 4th car. I'd get a Ford Mustang V8, Subaru WRX STI, Lexus CT 200h or IS 350, VW Golf GTI, etc.

Well buddy, in case you didn't know there are a lot of SUVs aside from the Isuzu MU-X (not saying that the Isuzu MU-X is no good though). Sometimes it helps to read the newspaper, magazines and websites like this one to know what cars or SUVs (for that matter) are already available here in our market instead of just looking at one brand.

Also, if you know how to read I said, SUV/pick-up. What made you think I'm referring to the Isuzu MU-X? Well, keep dreaming buddy. Enjoy the holidays.

Turd-world SUVs should be ruled out of consideration entirely. 1 basic rule should be: if it's not sold in the manufacturer's home country then it should be considered something that won't pass 1st-world emissions and safety standards.

surprised that Toyota vios, which I think is the bestselling car of 2014, did not appear in the top5. but pretty sure it must be in the top10 at least. surprised also that no Chevrolet car entered the list. neither did a Hyundai.

Why did you think a prettified old tech vehicle such as the "all new" toyota vios would be included in the top 5? The honda city wasn't included and that's an infinitely better car than the toyota vios.

Badge snobs like this idiot are those who can't afford. Try driving a Hyundai. Or a Kia. Both are better equipped than their Japanese counterparts. Both have longer warranties and some models have even better and more modern mechanicals than Honda or Toyota. Get your facts straight. Idiot.

Again with the longer warranty bullshit. I'll tell you again the extended warranty is plain marketing garbage. Korean cars break down easily. The aftersales service is a nightmare. Their cars are not even fun to drive. What good are those "modern" parts if at the end, the whole car itself still sucks? You're the one who has probably never driven any new cars at all and maybe you're the type of guy who still owns an old kia pride.

The best warranty in the world doesn't really offer the best performance in the world as well. The body roll in the Tucson was too much, there was a stupid smell with that came with the plastics on the new Accent, and probably only the Starex was good with me.

The morons above don't seem to grasp the concept of warranties. If those cars are more prone to failures and warranty claims then the manufacturers and dealers for those brands should be losing a lot of money already right? LOL. The longer warranty is in fact an assurance of better quality. The kids above obviously have no experience working at any manufacturing company.

Hindi naman buong sasakyan ang may extended warranty. Transmission lang ata, which rarely breaks down nowadays. That's why the 8 year warranty is just some marketing bullcrap. It doesn't really make any difference. Korean cars are still crappy and subpar in quality.

Recalling vehicles doesn't necessarily mean the vehicle is bad. Instead of leaving customers with faulty parts, companies go out of their way to check and fix the affected parts. Besides, only a handful of complaints led these companies to initiate the recall. In truth, almost all of the recalled vehicles were functioning normally as if nothing was really wrong anyway.

Buyers of korean cars on the other hand will have to put up with shitty quality and mediocre performance.

And how do you pronounce it, "tricykel"? ...man, that's full of crap! just like "secooond"...go back to your basic English (American or British), you won't find those funny tagalog english pronunciations...Your comment tells me you have lots of hidden insecurities by belittling other people. It's time to wake up and get over it.

The vios is a good car but i must agree that the 5 vehicles listed above are better and of more value for the benefit of the consumers. Compared to the others, there was no effort to upgrade the powertrain to the benefit of the consumers. Probably their reason is to maintain their lead in the taxi industry which doesn't require much upgrading.

LOL at 10:29PM. Just because you can' afford it or the upkeep for it doesn't mean it's a bad car. I'd choose the FJ over a similarly-priced 3rd-world diesel SUV any day. It's the only car in recent memory that has a resale price that is almost the same as its brand-new price. Even the overpriced 1999-2000 Civic SiR can't match the FJ's resale value in %.

no test drive, no consideration...hmmm...ilan ang na-test drive? ilan ang hindi pa? i agree with most of the choices. pero, di ba mas maganda kung me data kung ilan ang nasubukan. if i missed out on it, my apologies. it will be very useful kasi for people who are relying partly on your reviews before buying one. thanks.

Agree with Uly, I also prefer the 86 over the ovepriced BR-Z with its fake side hood vents and ugly black bar mouthguard. But both are underpowered and heavy for a supposed "lightweight" RWD 2-door sports car. For that price I'd get the WRX, much more power and AWD.

What a credible list. But I have to be bias that among the vehicles, I would choose the Mazda 3. Saw one in a mall, and I was absolutely blown away 'bout its gorgeousness. And look under the hood... that block is so perfectly assembled you couldn't imagine it's a Japanese car. I hope the model won't change yet because I'll be buying it this year if money goes around well. And I can't hardly imagine how awesome the Mazda 6 is.

I also have to commend Toyota for the Corolla Altis. They offer both MT and AT in every line up of the Altis. Something I would really have loved more if Mazda had done the same thing. And interior wise... many manufacturers can really learn from them. It was just an unexpected interior design, especially the dashboard.

Why anyone would wanna get a vios over a honda city is beyond me. I'll never understand the logic of these people. Clearly the honda city is superior yet somehow people like this guy still buys toyota's crap.

With all due respect, I wouldn't call Toyota's products 'crap'. Even though I personally prefer Honda, there are loads of people who adore Toyota. It's not just about features but also about the reputation of the brand and last I checked, Toyota is still widely revered as one of the most dependable and reliable ones. Sure, the Vios might not be as well specced as the City, but it's also much more affordable. Keep in mind that, especially in our market, it's more about needs; and frankly, the City's features are more "nice-to-have"s rather than "must-have"s.

Please be more specific...budget? Preferred vehicle type? If budget no problem, the best anti-flood vehicle that I'll get would either be the Ford Ranger Wildtrak (for pick-up) or Chevrolet Trailblazer (SUV).

Still, I'd like to hear what you have in mind to find a more suitable car for you.

My question to you is: how many times will you actually drive through floods? How many times will you actually make your car go through one?

Having great water wading depth is good and can be your last resort when you really need to get home in an emergency, but will you sacrifice comfort and convenience for it? The EcoSport is indeed good for that or even the Jimny jacked up with an aftermarket snorkel and suspension.

But if comfort and practicality tops your list and crossing floods won't be the norm, get the Honda Jazz. You'll thank yourself for doing so.

The reason the Adventure and Crosswind still selling a lot because for most Filipino families THIS IS the most value for money vehicle. Reliable, practical (sits extended members of the family), and economical. Why hate? Buti na lang nalampasan na natin yong assembled jeeps.

By the way, top 5 or top 10 lists especially if cuts across categories are meant as guides. Different criteria means or weighs differently among buyers.

Thanks Mr. ANG. Will post upon aquiring the yaris. Thanks for the advise. For the city fan guy, please respect the decision of people and don't make comments on toyota if you don't own or used one for a long time. Been a toyota user since 1987 toyota Corona 12r. Been a Honda user once a civic sir loved the performance but the simplicity and service reliability of Toyota is still taken into consideration. Any way still... Thank you for your comment

Honda and Toyota's reliabilty are on par. There's little to no difference except maybe toyota's slightly cheaper maintenance but that's it. All else, the honda city/jazz trumps the vios/yaris. You know, why don't you set a test drive appointment and see the difference.

No worries. And for the record, I've always believed to each his own. If you want to go for the Vios/Yaris over the City/Jazz, then do so. It's the same if you prefer Korean cars to Japanese. The bottom line is that you must be getting a car that fits your needs and preferably, your wants as well.

Good day, sirs! What first car can you suggest for manila? It has to be an SUV and price range is less than 1.5M. I currently have my eye on the 4x2 a/t Isuzu MU-X because of all the features it has for the price. I am an incoming freshman not from manila. Looking for one that will last 10 years haha! (Reason is because I will continue until medicine) I prefer one that at least has GPS and a backup camera to help me in manila. Also I'm thinking of waiting until the start of classes on August to be able to choose from the new cars that might come out this year.

TL;DRLooking for first car that will last 10 yearsGreat service repair from the brandSUVGPS & Backup Cam

Wag MU-X. Unless you're gonna carry lots of people or you'll be travelling to the provinces, avoid it at all cost. Its too big, it will be more expensive to maintain and you'll look like a total douche.

If you want a vehicle with good ground clearance, easy to maneuver, comfortable and cheap to maintain, get a crossover. Subaru XV and Mitsubishi ASX are great choices. If you want a sedan, the Mazda3 2.0L or a Toyota Altis 2.0L is probably one of the best choices out there. The Honda Civic 2.0L is also a decent choice since it has a reverse camera.

That's not true anymore. Even smaller subcompacts already have 5-star crash rating, have more advanced crumple zones and are safer than say, a Toyota Fortuner. Given, the MU-X also has a 5-star crash rating but it won't make any difference if one drives like a maniac. A crossover will pretty much match or even exceed a typical college student's needs.

So far from your suggestions, I think I like the Mazda3 most cause it looks really nice. What's the difference between Mazda3 2.0 R Skyactiv 5DR Speed and Mazda3 2.0 R Skyactiv 5DR? Is the Nissan X-trail a viable option? Should I wait for new car releases for the year? I am set to purchase on August pa naman po.

Mazda3 2.0R Speed has body kits, black rims, white leather interior and bose speakers. Personally, I'd rather choose the ordinary Mazda3 2.0 since black leather is easier to maintain and I'm not a big fan of body kits since it will scrape the ground a lot.

The Nissan X-Trail looks good, lots of features at a reasonable price, unlike the CR-V. Many foreign reviews of the X-Trail are already out and they're mostly positive. If you can wait, then get the X-trail.

Does Mazda have good servicing? I really don't want to buy a car that has bad service repair because it would be a really big problem for me as a student if I can't get to school. And if I really can't get anything other than an SUV, is there anything bad about the MU-X that I should know about? What other SUV that has GPS and back-up cam would you recommend besides MU-X and why? Also will a new fortuner, montero, and everest come out later this year?

I don't mind looking like a douche because I know I am not and besides I'm going to admu and big cars are probably not gonna make me look like a douche haha!

The top models have keyless passive entry. If you're really determined getting the MU-X, by all means go ahead but honestly, its just too big for a first car and if you're going to drive it in Manila, finding a parking space in the schools are a pain in the ass even when you're driving a smaller car. You should be prepared for more expensive maintenance because of its bigger engine displacement and you'll also have to change filters more often compared to gasoline cars.

If I were you, I'd get the smallest car since it will be used only in the city. If you're going to be travelling to the provinces, that's a differeny story.

So far from your suggestions, I think I like the Mazda3 most cause it looks really nice. What's the difference between Mazda3 2.0 R Skyactiv 5DR Speed and Mazda3 2.0 R Skyactiv 5DR? Is the Nissan X-trail a viable option? Should I wait for new car releases for the year? I am set to purchase on August pa naman po.

Hi, Im torn betweeen the altis 1.6 and the 1.8 civic MT models. Which car has the best sounding engine upon revving and better overtakes on open road? Which car is more reliable let's say for the next 10 years? Thanks for the advice (y)